On the Edge of Another Perpetual Sphere
by Empyrean Philharmonic
Summary: He defeated Brandon, he defeated Brandon, yes, he had defeated Brandon. But he didn't. With all seemingly-faded memories and struggles of inner turmoil grasping Paul mercilessly, he is forced to contemplate his position in life as he knows it, discovering a shade of himself that will ultimately serve him to become better, to become enlightened. Post DP Season.


I haven't written anything about Paul in a while, and I actually missed writing about the character. I wrote a fanfic a while back, titled _Myths and Memories_, but due to my dissatisfaction with the fic's substantiality, I scratched the entire story and put it aside for the future, hoping to create a deeper story with Paul and Reggie. (I also had a different pen name when I wrote that fic, before I re-hauled the name and gave myself a new pen name that I happened to like much more.) The time spent on pondering what to do was well worth the time spent, I believe. This entire fic is the result of that work. Some elements from the original fic I wrote will be retained in this fic, the main element being Sinnoh mythology, but there will also be changes added that I couldn't have imagined before.

Paul is a highly and aesthetically pleasing character, so very similar to Mr. Darcy in so many respects. I happen to personally have a couple of friends who are just like Paul in so many respects, though they are a bit nicer than the mean Paul everyone loves to bash about. In any case, I love to observe Paul's kind of personality and type as a character, despite his cruelty and harshness that so many people hate about him.

In a sense, I suppose you can say this is a journey fic for Paul, post DP Season. (Perhaps this is a pathetic attempt at a bildungsroman?) I have no intention of adding in romance, as I am already writing a romance in my other fics. Paul is an amazing character in himself; he looks so badass on his own that he doesn't need someone standing by his side. (Of course, I don't mind ships with him either; I actually supported ComaShipping a while back, but now I'm not as crazy about it. The one ship I can't imagine giving himself fully is IkariShipping; that ship is one of the few ships I don't like, but don't let my opinions get to you.) I will include OCs ranging from Pokémon to humans, and believe me when I say I won't be giving them any privileges as characters; otherwise, they'll be Mary-Sues. Other familiar characters, being Conway, Barry, and possibly Dawn, will also star here.

Also, don't expect consistent updates. In a perfect world where I can manage my time with absolute precision and schoolwork treats me so much nicer, I would have consistent updates, but that's not the case with this reality.

Anyways, that's enough of my babbling. Onwards to the story!

* * *

Defeating Pyramid King Brandon seemed too good to be true.

In fact, he could've sworn he _hadn't_ defeated him. But he did.

He did it.

_I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it—_

He did it.

And yet, the feelings of victory refused to flow through him like the fluid movement of a natural river. No, it was not a wave of victorious triumph, nor was it an explosion of superiority and happiness. It was not a mild surprise which could only prompt a humble but all-knowing smile. It was nothing but one feeling, an inexplicable perception of strange depth meant to take time and space to understand its end, to be ultimately enlightened.

There had to be something wrong.

Defeating Pyramid King Brandon seemed too good to be true.

* * *

In a modest, quintessentially accommodating room of the Snowpoint Pokémon Center, golden sunlight began peeking from the East, giving a warm ambience to the beautifully frosty scene. Geometric curves of snow gripped the window panes, its thousands of snowflakes glistening an eternity of fragile rainbows in the morning light.

There was enough light to reach out onto the crisp bed sheets, highlighting the healthy figure of a lavender-haired teenager, his hair rustled into thick swaths of smooth strands against the pillow. Around, the blankets covered his body, sheltering the boy from the rather cool air surrounding him.

Next to the bed, there stood a nightstand, neatly holding a telephone. It began ringing in a mild tone, gently waking up the boy. Opening his eyes, he turned to the direction of the phone, casually picking it up.

"Paul, there's a call for you," Nurse Joy's familiar voice said, her cheerful demeanor ever present.

_A call?_ "Put them on," Paul replied, forcing himself to sit up straight.

"Will do!"

A moment of quick silence passed, the lines transferring from one to the next.

"Paul!" a recognizable voice greeted with a friendly atmosphere. "So I've heard you defeated Pyramid King Brandon!"

"_Aniki_?" Paul said with mean shock, a feeling of surprise lurching from within him.

A laugh emanated from his older brother. "Don't sound so rude to me! For the love of Arceus, you may have grown, but you're still as cold as ever."

Paul sighed, knowing his brother all too well. "Yes. I defeated him."

"I was half-expecting that you could defeat him," Reggie admitted. "I didn't fully believe that you could really take him down."

Paul remained quiet for a moment, letting a silence hanging between them for a time before speaking. "He said I had grown stronger."

"He did?"

"He said I had grown stronger, but that I still had much more to learn."

"Well, of course." Paul could hear the smile in his older brother's voice. "You've got a long way ahead of you."

_That's not it, though_, Paul wanted to say to Reggie. _There's something more to it. He said that he wanted to battle me again, when I was fully—_

"Anyways, now that you defeated Brandon, don't you think you'll head for another region? I hear that Ash is going to Unova."

"I'm considering it," Paul said coolly, dismissing his earlier thoughts. "There's nothing more to do here in Sinnoh."

"You could go to Unova, like Ash."

"As if."

Another laugh came from Reggie. "Or how about Kalos? I hear their Mega Evolution training is something worth checking out."

"_Aniki_," Paul said with strict bluntness, totally ignoring his brother's suggestions.

"Yeah?" Reggie sounded unharmed from his little brother's rude tone.

"How much… How much do you think I've grown?"

This time, Reggie was quiet. The silence between the two brothers was awkwardly deafening; the telephone connection that held between them seemed to hold a universe of its own.

"Well," he started, hesitant, "I'm not lying when I say that you've really grown a lot. I mean, with Ash and all. Of course, you're a good trainer and all, but there's still a long way for you to go. And," Reggie sighed, "and, especially for your Pokémon. Remember that Pokémon aren't just tools—"

"Never mind," Paul grumbled, lifting the bed sheets off of him. He would prepare to leave the Pokémon Center soon. The trainer had no intention of hearing another tirade of how to love and treat Pokémon with care from his brother again. He had learned after all, and Ash especially did enough to nail him in the head about loving Pokémon and treating them with care. Infernape was all the proof he needed.

"At least let your brother finish talking!" Paul heard Reggie complain.

"I already know what you're going to say," Paul said, his voice more dismissive than before. "There is no need for you to repeat everything you say to me over and over again."

"It's a reminder, Paul," Reggie said, his own voice taking a hint of control of the discussion.

Paul released a tight sigh. "I am very well aware of how I should treat my Pokémon."

Reggie sighed again. "Alright. I assume that you're mature enough to understand that. Don't be too mean about it."

"Yeah." Paul closed his eyes. "Whatever."

"On a brighter note," Reggie said, his tone becoming brighter again, "what was the battle between you and Brandon like?"

_The battle_?"It was… effective, to say in the least."

"Effective in what sense?"

Paul didn't want to continue that statement. "Just… effective."

"Well, details would be nice," Reggie urged his little brother.

"Listen, I have to get going," Paul said abruptly.

"Eh? You've just begun explaining what the battle was like!"

"Then go call Brandon himself." Paul was curt. "I'm sure he'll be glad to explain the rest to you."

"Paul, I can't just call him like—"

"Yes, you can. In any case, I'm going to be leaving to Snowpoint soon. I'd like to start preparing to leave."

Reggie couldn't believe his little brother's sudden actions; they almost seemed inadvertent and invidious. "Where are you going then?"

"I'll talk to you later, _Aniki_." Paul moved his thumb in preparation to press the off button, adding with a small sign of reluctance, "Thanks for calling."

As easy as a pianist pressing the key of the piano, Paul pressed the off button, hanging up from his older brother. He stared at the phone for a time before placing it back to its proper position, wondering how Reggie had found out about the final result of his battle in the first place.

Not allowing himself to ponder on any longer, the teenager swiftly rose up from the bed. He wouldn't waste any more time on thinking about a trivial matter.

In the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center, Paul finished eating his breakfast with ease and efficiency. One might have thought there was a determined ambition ready to be executed within him, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that Paul didn't have a clear future plan. His normally intense, focused eyes now meandered into an unusually soft and lost inflection, holding on a dangerously thin thread of maintaining his commonly stern image.

Making his way to the head desk in the main lobby, he could see a small crowd of nearby schoolchildren all in early pubescent ages, fitting enough to call them tweens. There was an even divide of genders within the group, and from just one swift glance, Paul was superiorly mature enough to understand their shallowness and immaturity they gave off. Girls in the typical navy school uniforms began pointing admiringly at the lavender-haired trainer, giggling and murmuring, "He's the trainer, isn't he? He's the one who defeated Brandon yesterday!" Likewise, the uniformed boys stared at him in either amazement or envy of his present strength, especially noting that Paul was grabbing all of the female attention in their crowd. He was creating an unintended commotion of wishful acquisition.

_Idiots_, he thought, disgusted with their immaturity.

Though he was irked with the attention, he kept his integrity as he walked over to Nurse Joy. After giving his name, the nurse nodded, compliant as she went to receive Paul's PokéBalls.

"Your Pokémon are all healthy!" Nurse Joy said with a smile. "I'm surprised they're doing so well after battling Pyramid King Brandon."

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_," Paul said, indicating his gratefulness. For a moment, his eyes scanned the six PokéBalls holding his supremely trained Pokémon: Electivire, Ursaring, Magmortar, Hariyama, Nidoking, and Aggron. They had all been the same Pokémon he originally used in battling Brandon for the first time; it was the same battle he had humiliated himself so shamefully. It didn't help that his foremost rival, Ash, was there to witness it. Oh, and there was _Aniki_. Thankfully, he was assured that all who had been watching the battle only pitied him in the end, though it was hard to accept. Needless to say, Paul was not the kind to accept pity very easily.

He sighed, allowing his eyes to close before any more emotion could take control of him. Attaching the PokéBalls to his belt, he prepared to leave the Pokémon Center, walking casually to the glass doors that tightly protected the building from chilly winds.

"Um… Excuse me…"

Paul turned around, finding a girl a head shorter than him blushing profusely.

"What is it?" he replied, his voice steely.

"Um…" her voice was unnaturally high-pitched, perfectly fit for an anime that demanded an innocent, shy girl. "You're… the trainer who defeated Pyramid King Brandon yesterday… right?"

He nodded bluntly once. "What of it?"

She made a squeak. "Er… that's all!" In a typical shy schoolgirl fashion, she flounced her way back to the group in a hurry, other girls laughing at her quietly, all the while focused onto the lavender-haired trainer standing before them.

He raised an eyebrow at the crowd, giving them his signature cold glare. Everyone from the group flinched, stung like Beedrill mercilessly attacking an intruder in their hive. He released a smug smile, highly amused from their reaction. With an air of bigger confidence, Paul walked out of the Pokémon Center, stepping onto loose snow.

_Where am I going?_

Casually turning his head from left to right, he observed the setting. Ah, yes. The previous night, there was a fresh coat of snow that fell down onto the ever-snowy city. The fresh snow piled upon the roofs and lampposts, enhancing the classic image of a winter wonderland. Outside, various children no older than five as well as Pokémon chased each other throwing snowballs, all snug in their home-knitted hats, scarves, and mittens. Several were playing with their mothers and fathers, sprinkles of delighted laughter echoing in the air. One little boy chased a Glaceon playfully in what seemed like a game of tag while a Snover made happy snow angels next to a young girl. A soft, nostalgic nudge tugged at Paul's heart at experiencing this scene before him.

Not understanding at all where his next destination would head, he began wandering around idyllically, sure that perhaps a little contemplation wouldn't hurt. After all, some thinking would help clear his head.

_Remember when you and Aniki used to play in the snow when it was winter in Veilstone?_

Oh, he remembered very well. It was perhaps one of the only memories he loved and cherished so much, though that fact was secretive that only Paul knew of it.

_…He didn't remember how old he was. Perhaps three, or four, or five. In any case, he was little, and shorter than a meter, at least._

_ That morning, he woke up on the first day of December, and it was to their happiness that snow had fallen. Reggie was excited as ever in seeing this wonder of nature; he was anxious to bring Paul out to play in the miraculous beauty and fragility that was snow._

_ "Come on, Paul!" Reggie encouraged, watching a young Paul walk stiffly in winter clothing to the door. "All of the Pokémon are already outside waiting for us to join them!"_

_ "Wait, Aniki!" the little boy complained. "You put too much clothes on me! I can't even walk!"_

_ Reggie sighed, releasing an understanding smile. Walking over much more swiftly and easily, he picked the light child in his arms, making their way outside together._

_ Outside, Bibarel was seen creating a magnificent snow statue of some unknown contraption, though it was highly reminiscent of some nature-made dam. Luxray and Espeon were chasing each other, leaving unique, artistic footprints behind. Staraptor snuggled up against a tree; being a Flying-Type, it didn't have any natural affection for the cold, but it still admired the beauty of winter nonetheless. Drapion played with the snow in a curiously light style, like a child discovering the surroundings of their world, poking at the marvels of snow resting upon tree branches. Swalot, ultimately dissatisfied with the lack of umami in snow to fulfill its ever-hungry stomach, merely trudged along the snow, enjoying the trails it left behind, searching for something edible._

_ Reggie began with a light snowball, throwing it playfully to his little brother. Paul only looked at him in confusion._

_ "Can you try to form a snowball, Paul?" the older brother asked._

_ With his little, gloved hands, he grasped a handful of snow, successfully creating a small rock of snow after crunching it in his palm._

_ "That's it," Reggie encouraged, then making hand motions as to building on the snowball. "Then you continue by doing this…"_

_ The brotherly love between them could not be more heart-touching; anyone witnessing the two brothers playing in the snow would be undeniably moved, smiling in a complete happiness of a reminiscently innocent bliss._

_ …_

_ And yet, while that moving moment was enough to bring a smile to Paul, he was also reminded of the subsequent events, only touching his own heart even more afterwards…_

_ …_

_ "Do… do we have a mom and dad?"_

_ Reggie faltered slightly at this question. "Of, of course we do! Why wouldn't we?"_

_ "Everyone at school says we have no parents. But I keep telling them that we do, but they never believe me."_

_ "We do," Reggie reassured his little brother. "Everyone has parents."_

_ "So…" the child began deducing, clearly exercising his brain as his brows furrowed. "So where are they?"_

_ "…Somewhere," Reggie responded, not wanting to reveal the truth._

_ "Will they ever come back?"_

_ "Hopefully!" Reggie smiled, attempting to force away his negative thoughts._

_ "And you said you wanted to be a Pokémon trainer, but you said you couldn't because you had to take of me."_

_ "Well, that's okay. I can't leave you all by yourself anyway."_

_ Paul looked at his brother with unusually mature eyes for his age. "What if our mom and dad don't come back?"_

_ "They will."_

_ Paul's attention drifted quickly from one thought to the next, typical movements for the fast-thinking child. "I kinda remember what Mom and Dad looked like. They had purple hair, like us. Mom was pretty. Dad was strong."_

_ "Uh-huh." Reggie nodded._

_ "One day, when I'm old enough to take care of myself, Aniki, I want you to go traveling around with your Pokémon and become a Pokémon trainer."_

_ Reggie laughed, touched at his little brother's words. Paul seemed strangely selfless. "Maybe. Maybe when you're old enough to take care of yourself. Maybe when you start secondary school."_

_ …_

_ After a long day of playing, nighttime inevitably dominated the sky, prompting all Pokémon back into their PokéBalls as Reggie and Paul stepped back into their parentless house. The older brother brewed a hot stew, thick and satisfying enough as a variation of chicken broth, fulfilling their empty stomachs. All Pokémon received their dinners, just as satisfied as the brothers with their meal._

_ For a while, Paul had been bothering Reggie about reading a book that he wanted to read together. The title of the book was in clear, silver letters, titled, _The Complete Book of Sinnoh Mythology_, the book itself being the size of a portrait photography book. It seemed complex, with all of the annotations neatly typed in margins as well as footnotes ornamenting the bottom pages. The text was typed in a classic serif font, holding themselves together in paragraphs from page to page. Occasionally, there were high-quality color images of stone tablets featuring the original myths written in ancient Sinnohnian language, translated into the modern world language everyone was accustomed to using._

_ It seemed strange, at first. Who else could picture a child so interested in Sinnoh mythology? Of course, Paul was a humble exception. From the moment of birth, Reggie remembered his parents mentioning at how deep his eyes seemed to be, so filled with wonder and curiosity (minus the primary crying and screeching typical of a newborn child, of course). It was especially evident in his classmates; when a group of kids wanted Paul to join them in their imaginative escapades of having adventure and saving the world, he would politely say no and go wander off alone, not finding any amusement in joining their activities._

_ Besides, the book itself was filled with an array of extensive vocabulary difficult for the child beginning to read and write. The young Paul didn't let that irritate him, however, and he went ahead to ask Reggie if they could read the book together. Always glad to help his little brother, Reggie agreed._

_ Near the warmth of the fireplace, Reggie, with Paul's curiosity devouring him more by the minute, read each and every Sinnoh myth, explaining its possible connections and wonders that could be…_

_ Indeed, Paul seemed like an unusual child. He would grow up to be distant from his peers, especially when it came to Pokémon training._

Paul snapped out of his reminiscences, the voice of a young child loudly proclaiming, "Mom, look! A statue of Arceus!"

Finding the body the voice belonged to, he found a little girl pointing at a snow-covered marble statue of Arceus, poised magnificently, the head of the statue holding itself high into the blue sky. Her eyes sparkled, releasing warmth as energetic as fire. The mother smiled, picking her up as the little girl marveled at the delight before her, giving her a better view of the God.

Paul felt fortunate he was alone. In all honesty, he was touched, but he wouldn't admit it very easily.

The earlier small, nostalgic nudge tugging at his heart now pulled him with an emotion unfelt of. Still unsmiling, he dropped his cold demeanor, his dark eyes overtaken with a cushioned gaze.

_I should be happy. I just defeated Brandon. But I feel… empty. Aniki asked how the battle went. I told him it was effective…_

Paul remembered his brother's question. _Effective in what sense?_

…_It was effective in the sense that it made me realize I didn't deserve to win the battle. Brandon said I won. He said I defeated him. But I didn't deserve it. That's why it feels too good to be true._

The trainer released another sigh. If he was so unsure of himself, this would surely do much harm to him as a Pokémon trainer. While he might have not always treated Pokémon with the care Ash had, he was certainly sure that trainers themselves needed to be sure and confident. If the trainers were not as positive as needed, their title as a trainer would diminish into one of shame and weakness.

An epiphany quietly submerged from the depths of his subconscious, gently taking hold of the lavender-haired trainer.

_I can't challenge another league. At least, not now. I'm not ready to challenge another league yet._

_ Then what should I do? Go back home?_

_ Home…_

_ You are home, Paul…_

He shook his head once, his hair swinging perfectly in motion, giving him the pitiful image of a struggling human wrangling with the complexities of emotion. What was bothering him so much? The lack of parents around his childhood? Was there not enough care he was giving to his Pokémon? What was he missing?

He sighed, the agitation audibly prevalent. He promised he would call Aniki. But what would he say then? He had no intention of telling his brother the truth. Maybe sending an email would do, instead. His older brother wouldn't be able to hear the pain in his voice anyway.

For the moment, he was defeated, his tempestuous feelings capturing hold of him like a child refusing to let go of the mother.

_You'll figure it out, Paul. Everything will come to mind…_


End file.
